Sir Simon Rattle - LEAVING HOME: Orchestral Music in the 20th Century - Episode 5/7 - The American Way (English)

About this event
Written and presented by Sir Simon Rattle, the foremost British conductor of our day, this series forms a fascinating introduction to, and overview of, the music of the twentieth century. Sir Simon Rattle leads viewers on an exhilarating journey through the music of our time, explaining the chief musical developments from Mahler to the present day.
Each programme is illustrated with evocative imagery, archive film and photographs and the featured music is set within the broader context of artistic and social change.
Why “Leaving Home”? The story of twentieth-century music is one of leave-taking in many ways. As a wealth of talented composers searched for new creative responses to the world around them, many made departures from the solid ‘home’ foundations of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century music – tonal harmony, melody, regular rhythm and metre. Many had to literally leave home, displaced by political upheavals. A remarkable diversity of expression developed – not all of the difficult or discordant variety commonly associated with modern music. The range is wide and this series samples the work of over thirty composers, discovering new and challenging sounds as well as some unexpectedly familiar music. It presents an extraordinary kaleidoscope of orchestral images, full of contrasts and surprises.
Episode 5/7 - The American Way
The focus of The American Way is the music of young men in a young country, individualists and innovators who nevertheless learnt from the music of the past, and from the music of other cultures. Jazz, military bands, country dances, German Expressionism and minimalism all contribute to a dazzling display of energy and virtuosity in American music.
With excerpts from:
George Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue (1924)
Charles Ives: A Symphony: New England Holidays S 5 (1897-1913) - II. Decoration Day
John Cage: First Construction (In Metal) (1939)
Elliott Carter: Three Occasions for Orchestra (1986-1989) - I. A Celebration of Some 100x150 Notes
Morton Feldman: Madame Press Died Last Week at Ninety (1970)
Aaron Copland: Appalachian Spring, Suite (1945) (Version for Orchestra)
John Adams: Harmonium (1980)
Kurt Weill: Street Scene (New York 1947): Lonely House (Sam Kaplan, Act 1)
Terry Riley: In C (1964)
Leonard Bernstein: Symphonic Dances from 'West Side Story' (1960)
Duration: approx. 51 minutes.
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